Stapleford double helps Maitland Magpies to 3-2 win against Olympic

Sophie Stapleford sealed the win with an 81st minute strike on the end of a crisp series of passes.

It started with Tahlia Gossner on the right wing to Amy Parkinson who crossed to Sophie Jones who nudged the ball to an open Stapleford who slammed the ball into the back of the net.

In a game they looked at various times to dominate, the Magpies had one final twist to test their fans' nerves with Keely Gawthrop attracting a second yellow card and being dismissed in the 83rd minute.

But this time the Magpies managed to retain order and didn't allow Olympic back into the game with any mix-ups at the back for a third time.

"We are really pleased to win the game against Olympic, they are always a tight affair," Magpies coach Keelan Hamilton told the Northern NSW Football website.

"I am really proud of our mental resilience and mental application, it was first class. To go ahead, then fall behind and then turn it around to win it was incredible.

"It was a mixed performance. In the first 25 minutes, I thought we deserved our lead, but we lost control in the last 15 minutes of the half, which was disappointing.

"But we got ourselves back into the game.

"The first five to 10 minutes of the second half we were a bit sloppy, but credit to the girls they didn't drop their heads."

The Magpies had the best of the game early and seemed to be cruising to another comfortable win when Sta pleford opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a sweet strike from the left edge of the box to race past the keeper.

They controlled play until the 46th minute when a mix-up at the back saw the ball elude advancing keeper Annabella Thornton and bounced favourably for Olympic's Sophie Mcdonald who was able in to equalise.

Olympic gained the lead in the 52nd minute when Elodie Dagg pounced onto the loose ball after a shot by Emma House was parried by Thornton.

But defensive lapses were not the sole domain of Maitland, and somehow a seemingly innocuous attempt from 30 metres out on the right wing by Parkinson ran past at least a dozen players and beat the keeper to her left.

The Magpies showed their class and steely determination to finish the job through Stapleford and collected their seventh win from eight games to sit second on the ladder on 21 points, two behind Broadmeadow Magic but with two games in hand.

The two teams meet in this Sunday's Women's League Cup final at Cooks Square Park at 5pm.

The Magpies reached the final in 2023, losing in a penalty shootout against Newcastle Olympic.

Maitland are chasing their second piece of silverware after defeating Magic 4-2 in preseason Charity Shield.

The Magpies defeated Newcastle Olympic 3-1 to win the Women's State Cup in 2021.